Winning The Lottery Changes Less Than You’d Think — 5 Things I Learned After My Parents Won Big
Alright. So many of you are going to begin reading this and think to yourselves, holy sh*t. How is this spoilt, rich b*tch complaining about her parents winning the lottery? Well, you’re right. I’m spoiled. But I’ve always been spoiled. I’m an only child, and my parents tried for 15 years to have me! I am their miracle, and ever since the day I came into this world, I have been spoiled. The lottery money has not changed anything regarding that.
Full disclosure, I am no writer. Especially one that has had anything published before. However, after reflecting on the past year and how my life has changed since the winnings, I can say that I am still a shitty writer. But a confident shitty writer at that. Money has given me a new perspective on “putting myself out there.” If I write something based on my “new-and-improved-life” and send it to be published, what is the worst that can happen? It doesn’t get published? That just leaves me back where I started before I started writing this shitty writing. So please excuse my writing.
There have been many quarter life crises happening, considering I turned the big 25 this year, so it is technically allowed, even though my parents did win the lottery and all. And so, whenever I find myself in a crisis, I find it easy to blabber on and write about it! So here it goes.
1. Money doesn’t change people, it just enhances the flaws that people already have.
My mom loves buying coats. It is her biggest flaw, and ever since I can remember, her closet has always been at least half filled with coats. Now, my mom has even more coats. Her addiction to buying coats has really spiraled out of control. And her closet isn’t half filled with coats anymore, because she has more than one closet now, so her growing collection can continue to grow. The point I’m trying to make here, is that when my mom used to get her Christmas bonus every year, she would always spend it on a new coat. Now, she just has more money, and every day is Christmas bonus time, so she can buy more than one new coat. For all those math nerds out there that missed the point of me rambling, 1 coat for every $200 is equal to 3 coats for every $600. Or is it? I don’t know, I suck at math.
2. Money doesn’t change the fact that I’m still perpetually single.
For some reason, when my parents won the lottery, I immediately thought that boys would be flocking towards me. Even if they were using me for my new found money, I was cool with that, because hey, who doesn’t love attention from people that have rejected you in the past? I had this vision of me walking into a bar, and super sexy men just seeing my winnings written on my face, without me even telling them. Well, I can clarify that at first, this was definitely the case. However, it was very short lived. People get over it. Which brings me to my next point…
3. Money doesn’t result in long-lived happiness.
Now here comes the part where if you’re reading it you’re going to be really judgmental. You’re probably thinking to yourself, “if this was me, and my parents won the lottery, damn right I would wake up with a big smile on my face every single morning.” This statement was true for the first couple months. Every morning, I did wake up, without a doubt, feeling like I was dreaming. I couldn’t even begin to comprehend that I was lucky enough to quit a job that I hated, and travel for as long as I wanted. The sad reality of it is that, money does run out. I began to lose that feeling of having a purpose in life. And now, I have found myself back in school, completing a Masters degree in teaching. Because, (insert cheesy line here), having an education is a richness that lasts longer than money.
4. Money changes the little things in life, but not the big ones.
Full disclosure here, if someone asked me if I could go back in time and change the numbers on my dad’s lottery card so that he didn’t win, would I do it? HELL NO. Money does change the little things in life. To my friends that have not treated me differently since the lottery winning, I am now able to treat them for a beer, because I have that extra beer money now. Remember how I said that my mom loves buying coats? Well I love buying flowers. Now, I am able to buy flowers for myself at the store (because I’m perpetually single and I don’t need a man to buy me flowers) instead of rummaging through a stranger’s garden for free flowers. Totally kidding I never used to do that…but what I’m trying to say here is now I buy more flowers. And buy more beer for my friends. But you can also do that too! Even if your parents don’t win the lottery! Because flowers and beer really aren’t that expensive.
5. Money has taught me that you can’t win if you don’t try.
Lastly, my parents winning the lottery does make (some) people jealous. Overall, I would say that the majority of the reactions from family and friends have been positive. Celebrations occurred, and my family felt an overload of support. However, there are a few sour apples in every bunch that just can’t get over the fact that they weren’t the ones who won the lottery. I do realize that my family is astronomically lucky for this to have happened to us, and statistics show that for $5 you’re buying a one in 28 633 528 chance at winning at least $15 million. That’s not a high chance.
However, my father has been buying lottery tickets for his entire life. He has been dedicated to this low-level gambling problem for about 50 years now. Those that did react in an unfavorable way towards my parents’ winnings, or maybe even felt a hint of jealousy towards my family should remind yourself that you can’t win if you don’t try. You can’t have an article published if you don’t write…even if you are a shitty writer. How are you ever supposed to win the lottery if you don’t buy a ticket?